


At What Cost

by The_Goddess_Of_Fandoms



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Character Death, F/F, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:35:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28694805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Goddess_Of_Fandoms/pseuds/The_Goddess_Of_Fandoms
Summary: Qrow is trying to get over his long sense passed relationship with James Ironwood, the General of the Atlesian military and the headmaster of Atlas Academy. When Qrow shows up in Vale per request from Ozpin right before the Vytal festival is supposed to happen, he comes face to face with his old lover. It turns out they have been summoned due to Ozpin believing that there is a traitor within Beacon, and thinking they're planning something. Or rather, Salem is planning something.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Kudos: 4





	At What Cost

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! I really hope you enjoy chapter one. This is probably going to end up being one of my longest fanfictions. I hope you guys enjoy it. 
> 
> I am posting this on A03 as well under the same title. Though I will be uploading there before here with every new chapter.
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

James walked through the courtyard of Beacon Academy, the Atlesian military ships casting shadows on the ground from the sky. He began making his way down the path, towards the entrance of the academy. Ozpin had called upon him for help controlling the Grimm issue, with all the panic in Vale from recent attacks. He wanted to keep everything safe, especially given the circumstances of the Vytal festival being right around the corner. Before he reached the door, he heard faint footsteps behind him, he turned to look at the other male who had just now made himself known.

Qrow Branwen, one of the members of what used to be the team STRQ. "Qrow, what are you doing here?" He asked the tension in the air being thick enough to cut it with a knife. "I could ask you the same thing, _Jimmy_ " The skinny, yet tall male asked. There it was, that stupid nickname that got him into this mess in the first place.

"Ozpin called me here" James replied, solemnly. Qrow's snarky expression changed, into a more serious one. "So old Oz is roping in the big guns too? And here I thought I was special" He said, the serious tone dropping to yet again being annoyingly sarcastic. "Where have you been, you've been out of contact for weeks" James responded, aggravatedly. "What do you care, Jimmy, oh I'm sorry. General" Qrow said, the apology being full of sarcasm.  
James was about to say something but decided against it. He let out a sigh, looking at Qrow. "Let's just get going, Ozpin needs us in his office," He said.

Qrow and James stepped foot in the elevator, the doors shutting shortly after. James pressed the elevator button, a sigh leaving his mouth. He tried to keep his thoughts, anywhere other than Qrow's somewhat tightly fit pants. He cleared his throat. He wouldn't give in to temptations, not like last time they both crossed paths. He remembers the day, 10 years ago. Summer Rose, the leader of team STRQ, never came back from her special assignment. Everyone played it off as a simple mistake in the plan, but James, Tai, Raven, and Qrow. All of them knew what happened, and who did it was no secret. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

_James walked up behind Qrow, the skinny male was standing beside the closed casket of Summer Rose. She was his leader, his teammate, his friend. He put a reassuring hand on Qrow's back, sadness ached onto his face._ _"I am so sorry, Summer was an amazing person," He said. The shorter male turned to James and gave him a tight hug. His breath stunk of alcohol, he'd been drinking. James hesitantly hugged back and patted him on the back gently. "Hey, you should get some rest, you don't want to get drunk in front of your nieces do you?" He asked. Qrow nodded, sluggishly speaking. "You're right, I don't," He said._

_James ended up helping Qrow to the guest bedroom where he was sleeping for the time being to help Tai with 7-year-old Yang and 5-year-old Ruby. James helped Qrow through the door, but before the general knew it, Qrow had shut and locked the door. The slightly younger male had started stripping off his clothes and nearing James. "You want me, don't you General?" He asked playfully. James resisted pushing Qrow back, "I am not taking advantage of you, I'm not that kind of person" He spoke._

_His voice full of seriousness, but his sentence also wavered slightly. James wasn't one to take advantage of drunk men or women, but Qrow made the temptations stronger. His breathing got heavier, as Qrow crept closer and closer to him. "How drunk are you?" James asked quietly, looking at Qrow, biting his lip carefully. "I've had two glasses of champagne, I'm fully aware of what I want James" He spoke. James was convinced, the male didn't seem that drunk, maybe just tipsy. And Gods did it turn him on when Qrow said his name like that. Before he knew it he was taking action._

_James slammed Qrow against the door, roughly kissing him. The heat between them increasing with each kiss, Qrow had started removing James' obnoxiously layered military uniform. He eventually got it all off and James carried Qrow to the bed. James trailed his kisses, down Qrow's face and his body. The amount of sexual tension between them was so thick you could probably cut it with a knife. He didn't realize when he had felt the warmth of Qrow's body heat and his together, or when Qrow made those delightful noises of pleasure. But he sure as hell remembered when his pleasure reached beyond ecstasy, noises of pleasure filled the room. After that moment, all James had thought, 'I hope the kids didn't hear us' and by dawn, Qrow had woken up alone. The general's clothes nowhere in sight and neither was the general._  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------

James snapped back into reality when the elevator chimed, the doors opening up to Ozpin's office. The two walked in and over to the Headmasters desk. "You requested our presence, Ozpin? What is this about?" James asked. Ozpin turned in his chair, that cliche villain style though he in fact was the good guy. Ozpin held up a hand and looked at Qrow. "You went dark on us for a bit Qrow, we had reason to believe you'd been compromised," He said.  
"I can assure you I haven't. In fact, I've been in Vale for weeks after following leads to here, our enemy is here" Qrow responded. James looked at Qrow and then back at Ozpin. "Glynda and I have been made aware of that" Ozpin started to say, Qrow interrupted him. "Oh really? Did you and your little receptionist know that the infiltrator that is here, is the same person that did what happened to Autumn?" He asked. Ozpin seemed to be surprised by that detail.  
"Despite what the world thinks, we're not just teachers, or generals, or headmasters. The people in this room, the leaders of the other two academies, we're the ones that keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about!" Qrow paused, getting up in James' face. "It's why we meet behind closed doors, why we work in the shadows. So you tell me, James, when you brought your army to Vale, did you think you were being discreet, or did you just not give a damn!?" He exclaimed.  
James paused, setting his scroll on Ozpin's desk and bringing up a 3D image of the fleet. "Discreet wasn't working, I'm here because this is what is necessary," James said. Qrow rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed by everything. "You're here because Ozpin wanted you here! He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the _real_ fight that's in front of us!" Qrow exclaimed, looking at James. "I am grateful," James said. "Oh, well, you've got a real funny way of showing it," Qrow said stubbornly.  
"The people of Vale needed someone to protect them; someone who would _act_. When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength." James spoke, confidently in his small speech. Qrow started laughing. "You...You think they're scared of your little _ships_? I've been out there and I've seen the things she's made, and let me tell you - they _are_ fear." Qrow said, dead serious, he was very rarely serious like this. Usually, because he was always drunk.   
Ozpin stood up from his seat. "And fear will bring the Grimm. A _guardian_ is a symbol of comfort. But an _army_ is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds..." He swiftly gestured to the 3D image from James' scroll. "If this is the size of our defenses, then what is it we're expecting to fight?" He asked. Ozpin was always the more serious one out of his inner circle. Everyone else always told him he worried too much, but if anything, he worried too little. James glared at them before sighing and walking forward, picking up his scroll just as it flashes with the image of a Black Queen.

"So then, what do you suggest we do?" He asked. Ozpin looked at James, sighing. "I suggest we find our guardian." He said.   
\------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was past sundown. James was walking through the courtyard once again, a sigh left his mouth. Maybe Ozpin and Qrow were right, the army was a bit too much. But what if it wasn't. He was arguing with himself on the matter, because if he didn't bring the amount of reinforces he did, would it be enough. No one would know until afterward. He went and sat on a bench, putting his face in his hands and rubbing his temples. He felt the presence of someone else sitting beside him. He looked over, seeing Qrow.

"What do you want now?" He asked, a groan leaving his mouth. Qrow looked at James, a sigh leaving his mouth. "I just wanted to say, maybe you made a good call bringing military, we don't know how strong the current enemy is or if we'd have enough defense if you chose not to bring the military," He said. James nodded, looking at the other male. "Thanks," He said, Qrow only nodded. "Anytime Jimmy, see you around," He said, patting James on the back and walking off. James sighed. "Why did I have to fall in love with an idiot" He muttered quietly.


End file.
